Our main problems with the Spurs have so far been guarding Ginobili and Parker whilst staying honest to their spot-up 3-guys. Nash can’t guard Parker, and Bell, for all his defensive hype and reputation, gets incinerated by Ginobili everytime they square off. The dribble penetration leads to easy points for the others, and gets our bigs in foul trouble. We had rebounding issues when Shaq was not on the floor, but when he was on it he became a pick-and-roll liability, and the Hack-a-Shaq liability. We also had trouble scoring in half-court sets last year, though I think that’ll change this year.

To tell the truth, the Spurs seem more of a fading force and the Hornets and Lakers are a much, much bigger proposition altogether. Parker is emerging as ever-more dominant, but their depth and role players are subpar. Hornets have had our number completely thus far; with Chris Paul raping Nash, their 3pt shooting trumping the zone which the Suns are actually best suited to playing, and the athletic Chandler troubling Shaq. The Lakers have formidable talent and depth.

I hope for a WCF appearance at least; but I daren’t dream big, what with the unparalled parity in the NBA this season compared to the last, when halfway through the season I declared the Celts champs, and midway in the postseason when everyone was hyping the Lakers, I dumped my money on the Celts. For any intelligent, rational fan, the Celtics were the only choice last year. This year is genuinely different. What if Elton Brand works out? What if Iverson works out? That’s questions just for the East alone. And this year, unlike the last, sees our Suns, the Rockets, and the Hornets as real challengers instead of just playoff fodder.